Monday, August 6, 2007

This recipe is from All About Braising. The author of the book calls it the world's best braised cabbage, and says that after you make it once, you won't need to look up the recipe again. She's right on both counts! It's such a simple recipe. A head of cabbage is cut into eighths, and the wedges are laid flat in a baking dish. The cabbage is topped with sliced onions and carrots, drizzled with chicken stock and olive oil, and seasoned with salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. The dish is covered with foil and bakes in the oven at 325 for 2 hours - the cabbage wedges are turned over once at the halfway point. When the cabbage is tender, the foil comes off and the dish is finished at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes. If you like, you can sprinkle some fleur de sel over the top before serving.The cabbage developed a sweet flavor, with a little bit of spice from the crushed red pepper. I never have time on a weekday to spend 2+ hours on a vegetable dish, but this dish can be made in advance and reheated when you're ready to serve it. That makes the longer cooking time much more manageable.